1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a firehose coupling which helps fire fighters determine the direction to safety along a firehose.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A primary concern of fire fighting personnel is that of becoming lost in a burning or smoke filled structure where the fire fighter does not know the direction to the outside. Fire fighters are commonly taught to follow the firehose lines, knowing that the firehose connects from an outside source of water to the water spraying nozzle. However, under the stresses and pressures of a fire emergency, a fire fighter may lose his sense of direction and, upon finding a firehose, may be unable to conclude which direction leads to the outside water source and which direction leads to the nozzle. As is well explained in U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,000, innumerable other problems can arise which further minimize the chances of a safe escape.
Thus various escape aids have been developed to assist lost fire fighters determine the direction along a firehose to the outside water source connection. The devices so developed rely on concepts commonly described in the prior art, such as application of tactile and visual means to an object to assist a user in finding an exit. Although tactile and visual means have been variously applied directly to a firehose, none have been applied to firehose couplings. As will be explained below, numerous advantages are gained by applying the concept of a tactile and visual indicator to a firehose coupling over any application to a firehose.
Specific applications of tactile and visual indicators as applied to firehoses are discussed first. U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,000 issued Jul. 4, 1989 to Clement describes a flexible band or clamp with directional fingers protruding perpendicularly from the band. The band is attached to firehoses and helps indicate the direction to the water connection source of the firehose. The clamp thus allows a fire fighter to feel along the firehose and determine the direction to the exit. The clamp is a flexible removable band which must be retrofitted along the length of the firehose. The embodiments described include a steel spring clamp capable of being slipped over an unrolled firehose and a flexible band with fastener which encircles the firehose and may remain on a stored firehose. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 312,390 issued Nov. 27, 1990 and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 345,519 issued Mar. 29, 1994, both to Clement, show various embodiments of the directional bands as essentially described in Clement's '000 patent.
However, certain problems are inherent in a device which must be attached by encircling a firehose. Such a device must be able to withstand heat; must be able to withstand sudden expansion or change in shape caused by the high water pressure through a firehose; must be able to withstand abuse to its surface when being dragged over rough surfaces; and must be able to avoid snagging objects and hampering movement of the firehose. Yet, simultaneously the device must also be able to remain sufficiently flexible to allow the firehose to be stored in a flattened coil or roll; must be able to avoid restriction of water flow by kinking a firehose; and, most importantly, must be able to withstand being dislodged or removed through abuse of the hose so that the device is there when the fire fighter needs it.
Understanding the above problems makes the disadvantages seen in the various embodiments of the Clement inventions readily apparent. For example, the spring clamp embodiment can rust if made of heat resistant and flexible steel; to prevent the rust, it must be covered with a suitable heat resistant material. Furthermore, a removable device with an aperture along its circumference is prone to loss. Each of the clamp embodiments of the '000 or '390 patents must have an aperture along its circumference to enable attachment onto the firehose; therefore, the resulting sharp edges of the spring clamp must be rolled to avoid tearing the firehose. Fasteners used on the other embodiments can come undone because of snagging of the band or incomplete fastening of the fastener. Moreover, flexible materials, if fire resistant, for manufacture of the clamps may be costly.
Furthermore, even if many of these problems can be overcome, fire fighters wearing heavy gloves have a highly diminished sense of touch; hence, tactile directional indicators must be designed to accommodate this problem. The '519 patent shows an only slightly elevated "V" shaped directional indicator, which may be difficult to feel through heavy gloves. Finally, human error could be fatal; banding devices may be left off entirely if the time available to attach the device is limited. Even worse, devices put on backwards would lead the fire fighter into the fire rather than outside.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,027,741 issued Jul. 2, 1991 to Smith et al. addresses many of these problems in two embodiments of an emergency escape firehose. These embodiments incorporate stiff bristles permanently interwoven at an angle into the canvas surface of a firehose. In the first embodiment, the fibers' angle points towards the connection of the firehose with the water source so enabling a fire fighter to feel a smooth surface in that direction and a resistant surface in the direction towards the nozzle connection. In the second embodiment, the fiber angles are reversely inclined and the fire fighter must know that the direction towards the resistant feel of the firehose will lead him to the water source connection.
However, when a fire fighter is faced with a high pressure or panic circumstance, a safety escape device should also be intuitive to use, to minimize the need to use cognitive skills. A rookie fire fighter trying to remember whether the rough direction is to the fire (or was it the source?) has no intuitive clues whether "smooth" is out or "rough" is out. In contrast, everyone intuitively understands a pointer or directional arrow.
The third and fourth embodiments of the '741 patent include a series of annular members attached to the outer surface of the firehose wherein the annular member is inclined to indicate direction. A fifth and sixth embodiment include application of a luminous tapered stripe to the firehose. While these embodiments are more intuitive, they return to having the same problems and disadvantages to overcome as previously noted.
The prior art is also filled with other applications of tactile and visual direction indicators for other escape devices. U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,050 issued Aug. 30, 1983 to Britt et al. describes a escape route directional indicator for application to a surface, such as a building wall. Phosphorescent and tactile protruding arrows are applied in sequence to a sheet material surface such as an adhesive plastic tape. Similarly, UK Patent Application No. 2,224,154 published Apr. 25, 1990 describes an escape guidance aid, wherein a flexible adhesive tape when attached to a surface can be used to guide occupants of an enclosure to an exit by feeling along the tape or by viewing the tape. The tape is embossed or otherwise treated so that, when stroking the tape in one direction, it feels smooth, and rough in the opposite direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,160 issued Dec. 18, 1979 to Sabo describes a mine life line system utilizing a life line having tactile and luminescent directional indicating cones along its length. U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,309 issued Nov. 22, 1983 to Salim describes an indexed pipe so marked in a system of measurement to reveal the distance to pipe end locations during excavation.
Each of the escape aids described above have in common the concept of using a tactile and visual means by which to find an exit. But escape aids applied to a firehose have noted disadvantages. Hence, there exists a real and urgent need to provide a device which is capable of eliminating these disadvantages and is capable of directing a person to a safe exit along a firehose. The present invention addresses this need and provides a solution for the problems.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.